Commode flushing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A COMPACT SEALED FLUSH TANK AND FLUSHING COMPONENTS ARE IDEALLY SUITED TO BE FORMED FROM PLASTIC SO AS TO BE CORROSION-RESISTANT AND SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF WEAR. FULL WATER MAIN PRESSURE IS UTILIZED TO PRODUCE A PRESSURE FLUSH BY TRAPPING AND COMPRESSING AIR WITHIN THE TANK AND A FREE FLOATABLE BALL VALVE ELEMENT IS UNSEATED BY A UNIQUE ROTATABLE SLEEVE VALVE WHICH ASSURES THAT THE BALL WILL MOVE AWAY FROM ITS SEAT BEFORE FLUSHING WATER BEGINS TO BE DISCHARGED INTO THE COMMODE BOWL.

Jan. 12,1971 I K.OWENS 3,553,741

COMMODE FLUSHING APPARATUS Filed May 19 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOIRWALVTER K. OWENS United States Patent 3,553,741 COMMODE FLUSHINGAPPARATUS Walter K. Owens, Pensacola, Fla. (PO. Box 15, Beatrice, Ala.36425) Filed May 19, 1969, Ser. No. 825,786 Int. Cl. E03d 1/34 US. Cl.4-67 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A compact sealed flush tank andflushing components are ideally suited to be formed from plastic so asto be corrosion-resistant and substantially free of wear. Full watermain pressure is utilized to produce a pressure flush by trapping andcompressing air within the tank and a free fioatable ball valve elementis unseated by a unique rotatable sleeve valve which assures that theball will move away from its seat before flushing water begins to bedischarged into the commode bowl.

There is an increasing need for an economical durable and compactcommode particularly for use in mobile homes and boats but alsoapplicable to commercial or residential plumbing. Such a device shouldbe corrosion and Wear resistant with few moving parts so as to requireminimum maintenance, and should also meet sanitary requirementsspecified by municipal building codes and other government regulaitons.The prior art has failed to provide thus far such an ideal commode andflushing means and the objective of this invention is to meet the needsof the art in the respects above-mentioned. Other features andadvantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of acommode embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the commode and flushingmechanism taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 33 of FIG. 2 showing partsin a non-flushing position.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing parts in aflushing mode.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1showing parts in a non-flushing position.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the same parts in a flushingmode.

FIG. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in detail,wherein like numerals designate like parts, the numeral 10 designates apreferably all molded plastic commode bowl including a plastic seat andcover, said bowl having a built-in trap 11 and a rear discharge fitting12 having an annular seal 13 and connected with a soil pipe elbow 14leading to the sewer.

An upright cylindrical flush tank 15 also formed of plastic is disposedabove the bowl 10 substantially in alignment with the soil pipe andincludes upper and lower closure caps 16 and 17 which may be permanentlysealed in place during manufacturing. As shown, the bottom of the flushtank 15 rests upon an elbow 18 connected with a flushing water inletmanifold 19 which delivers water to the bowl 10 around the rim thereof,the manifold being preferably formed integral with the plastic bowl. Thetank 15 may be rcessed into a partition 3,553,741 Patented Jan. 12, 1971wall having studs 20 and is covered on its forward side by a shallowrectangular plastic finishing cover or hous ing 21 anchored to the wallby bolts 22 or the like. The housing 21 imparts to the commode a neatand finished appearance substantially flush with the wall except for thebowl 10 which projects outwardly, as shown.

The flushing mechanism associated with the compact tank 15 includes afirst upright sleeve 23 extending entirely through the tank lengthwiseand having its upper end sealed within an opening 24 of cap 16 and itslower end securely connected to the elbow 18. The sleeve 23 is immovablerelative to the flush tank. Mounted within the sleeve 23 rotatably is asecond or inner sleeve 25 coaxial therewith and extending entirelythrough the outer sleeve, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Near their lowerends and within the bottom portion of the flush tank, the relativelymovable sleeves have spherically formed openings 26 and 27 adapted toregister, as in FIGS. 2 and 3, when a floatable ball valve element 28 isseated. The ball valve element 28 is preferably weighted at one point 29to eliminate spinning in the water. When the inner sleeve 25 rotates bythe operation of means to be described, its ball seating opening 26moves relative to the opening 27 and forces the ball 28 off of its seatso that the ball will float in the tank generally as depicted in FIGS. 4and 7.

An important feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of thetwo sleeves 23 and 25 as described. When the sleeve 25 is turned toshift the opening 26 and unseat the ball element 28, the adjacent wallportion of the inner sleeve 25 will cover and close the opening 27 ofthe outer sleeve 23 until such time as the ball 28 floats entirely freeand away from the seat. This is important because if the flushing waterin the tank 15 is permitted to discharge too soon into the bowl 10, theball 28 will not be able to escape from the seat and will tend to bedrawn down and re-seated and the proper flushing action will not beobtained. The unique feature of the inner sleeve 25 first unseating theball 28, followed by momentary closing of the outlet opening 27, allowsthe ball to float free. Following this, the sleeve 25 assumes its normalposition with the openings 26 and 27 in registration and the properflushing cycle takes place. The operation will be further described.

The rotary inner sleeve 25 is turned by a bell crank 30 anchored theretoas shown and having two substantially right angular arms 31 and 32, theformer connected with a flexible cable 33 passing through guides 34 onthe housing 21 and being secured to a crank arm 35, FIG. 1, carried byan operating handle 36 on the front of the housing. The bell crank arm32 is connected with a retractile spring 37 having one end anchored tothe housing 21 at 38. The spring 37 biases the bell crank 30 to aposition whereby the two ports or openings 26 and 27 are in registrationas in FIG. 2. When the handle or lever 36is turned to flush the commode,the spring 37 will stretch and through the bell crank 30 the sleeve 25will turn to first unseat the ball 28, as described, and to cause theinner sleeve to momentarily cover the opening 27 of the outer sleeveuntil the ball floats free. When the handle 36 is released, the spring37 will return the inner sleeve 25 to its normal position where the twoopenings 26 and 27 are in registration.

The apparatus further comprises a water inlet 39 opening through theside wall of tank 15, as shown, so that the tank may be filled to theproper level at all times after the completion of each flushing cycle.An overflow tube 40 is provided externally of the tank 15 and openingthrough the side wall thereof near the elevation of the water inlet 39.This overflow tube 40 extends. downwardly along the tank and has a lowerextension 41 extending through the inlet manifold 19, FIGS. 2 and 4, andthen discharging at 42 into thebowl 10. Within the tank 15 at the upperterminal of the tube 40 is an inverted cup-like intake 43 incommunication with the overflow tube and having its open end facingdownwardly. A float ball valve element 44 is tethered to the element 43at 45 by a flexible cord and when the ball 44 is freely hanging whilethe water level in the tank is down, the bottom of the element 43 isopen so that air and/or water can pass into the tube 40. When the waterlevel rises sufficiently to float the ball element 44, FIG. 2, theelement 43 is closed and no water or air can enter the tube 40 andfurther introduction of water to the tank 15 from inlet 39 compressesthe remaining air in the top of the tank 15 to a pressure equalizingthat of the water supply system. This compression enables the smallcapacity tank 15 to deliver a pressure flush to the bowl Without thecomplications, large diameter water supply pipes and costly pressurevalves commonly employed for this purpose.

For disinfecting and deodorizing purposes, the inner sleeve 25 isequipped near and above its opening 26 with a screen 46 above which isintroduced a suitable amount of solid chemical disinfectant and/ordeodorizer 47. Sufficient water will rise through the screen 46 uponeach flush to dissolve some of this chemical and feed the same insolution with water into the "bowl 10. The chemical 47 will slowlygravitate down in the bore of the sleeve 25 and will last a long timebefore becoming exhausted.

It is believed that the foregoing description substantially encompassesthe operation of the invention. However, to summarize the operation,assuming that the tank is filled with water up to the maximumcompression level and the two balls 28 and 44 are seated, as shown, themechanism will be stable until a flush is required.

The user turns the handle 36 with the crank 35 and pulls the cable 33and bell crank 30 against the force of spring 37 to thereby rotatesleeve and unseat ball element 28 as described in full detail, followedby momentary closing of port 27 by sleeve 25 before releasing handle 36.This operation allows the ball 28 to float and the water level in thetank 15 under pressure of compressed air passes through openings 27 and26 and manifold 19 into the commode bowl. It should be mentioned thatthe system is vented through the open topof sleeve 25.

When the water level in the tank is fully down, the ball 28 will re-seatitself, as in FIG. 2, and the openings 26 and 27 are blocked and waterfrom the inlet 39 will rapidly rise in the tank ultimately floatingtethered ball 44 onto its seat, thereby closing off tube 40 and trappingair in the top of the tank 15 for compression. The inflow of water willstop without any additional valving when the pressure of the trapped airequals incoming water pressure, and the apparatus is then prepared forthe next flush ing cycle and is again stable. It is believed that thevarious features and advantages of the invention over the prior art arenow apparent to those skilled in the art, without the need for anyfurther description.

What is claimed is:

1. A flushing apparatus for commodes and the like comprising a tankhaving a water inlet, an outer relatively stationary sleeve extendingwithin the tank and being anchored thereto and having a portcommunicating with the interior of the tank near the bottom of the tank,an inner sleeve rotatably mounted in the outer sleeve and beingsubstantially coextensive therewith and having a port adapted toregister with the port of the outer sleeve, the bore of the inner rotarysleeve constituting an outlet passage for water in said tank when saidports are in regis tration, a buoyant free ball valve element within thetank adapted to seat within the close said ports when they are inregistration and being unseated when the inner sleeve rotates relativeto the outer sleeve, said ball valve element then floating away fromsaid ports while the side wall of the inner sleeve momentarily coversthe port of the outer sleeve permitting the ball valve element to escapecompletely from said ports and to float upwardly within said tank, andan operator connected with the inner sleeve externally of the tank andbeing resiliently biased to normally position the inner sleeve with itsport in registration with the port of the outer sleeve.

2. The structure of claim 1, and said tank being a vertically elongatedrelatively narrow tank having top and bottom closure caps, said outersleeve having end portions sealed within openings of said closure capswith the terminal ends of the outer sleeve projecting outside of thetank and caps, said inner rotary sleeve having its upper end extendingaxially beyond the corresponding end of the outer sleeve and beingconnected with said operator above the outer sleeve and tank.

3. The structure of claim 1, and said operator comprising a bell crankrigid with the inner sleeve exteriorly of the tank and outer sleeve, aspring connected with one arm of the bell crank and normally holding thebell crank in a position causing registration of said ports, a flexibleelement connected with the other arm of the bell crank in opposingrelation to the spring, and manual lever means for pulling the flexibleelement to turn the bell crank and inner sleeve against said spring tomove said ports out of registration.

4. The structure of claim 1, and a strainer element in said inner sleevenear and above the port thereof so that the entire bore of the innersleeve above the strainer forms a chamber for the reception of a solidchemical material.

5. The structure of claim 1, and an overflow tube leading from the tanknear and below the top thereof and having an inlet within the tank, anda tethered float valve element connected with the inlet to close thesame when the water level rises within thetank thereby enabling thewater to compress air within the top of the tank to a degree equalingthe pressure of the water supply system.

6. The structure of claim 1, and said buoyant ball valve elementeccentrically weighted to arrest spinning thereof.

7. The structure of claim 1, and said tank, outer and inner sleeves andball valve element formed of plastic.

8. The structure of claim 1, and said tank comprising a cylindricalopen-ended tube body, a pair of end closure caps telescoped over theends of the tube body and permanently sealed thereto, and said outerrelatively stationary sleeve having end portions projecting through andpermanently sealed within aligned openings of said closure caps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 375,353 12/1887 Harvey 4-57679,687 7/1901 Simpson 4-29 1,079,036 11/1913 Tosco et al. 4-571,215,695 2/1917 Paff 4-26 1,501,620 7/1924 Reed 4-28 1,516,043 11/1924Hughes 4-31 1,586,079 5/ 1926 Formaneck 4-28 2,068,672 1/1937 Groeniger4-56 2,211,296 8/1940 Shaft 137-390 2,243,203 5/1941 Groeniger 4572,800,664 7/1957 Bridge 4-67 3,041,629 7/ 1962 Pratt 4 28 3,466,6729/1969 McGahee 4-67 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner J. H. DODGE,Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

